Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishimoto and Sakurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.
Author's Notes: Oddly enough this chapter wasn't planned, whipped it up the past few days. I had originally planned to just have a couple pages of internal monologue by Yume at the start of the next chapter. However after everyone wanted to know more about the outcome of the last chapter I decided to write a full-fledged chapter. It was meant to be short and succinct and it turned into this... Anyways I'm not sure if it's up to my usual quality but here you go, it's basically the aftermath of the last chapter. An Extra chapter, which is why it's out earlier than a week after the previous. And since I spent some time on this don't expect the next chapter out for a while unless I get struck by divine inspiration or something.
Um, also, if you're not of legal age, you should skip the first section of my story. Naruto and Chime's 'morning after' includes a little exercise on the side. Just something minor, I'm not a very good writer when it comes to those scenes so I didn't really try to do anything fancy.
Review Responses: Wow, overall the responses I got last chapter were overwhelmingly positive. Kind of makes me nervous to post any more chapters, afraid I'll let my readers down by the succeeding chapters not being as awesome as the previous one.
Anyways I had some comments last chapter that I should tone down the Naruto 'kicking ass and taking names' bit. I have even seen some comments along a similar vein in the reviews of the other Sekirei/Naruto crossovers, that my Naruto is too much of a 'Gary Stu.' I will admit this has left me more than a little confused. Over the course of my story virtually everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for Naruto so I'm having difficulty trying to figure out how to 'tone it down' without killing the poor guy.
Naruto is too powerful for any of the Sekirei to beat him in a straight up fight. Even Miya would probably lose, while she could probably match him with sheer power he is highly unpredictable and has a wide range of tactics available. Those of you that have issues can moan as much as you want but whenever punch comes to punch Naruto is going to steamroll his opponents. There's no way I can make him realistically lose unless he deliberately handicaps himself and in the case of Mikogami and Higa's Sekirei there was absolutely no reason to do that.
The above is why I find other ways to make Naruto suffer or lose or struggle in some way shape or form because when it comes to a pure slugfest it's not realistic. Sometimes the scenarios that appear or tools I use to do that aren't always perfect and don't always fit exactly, but I try my best anyways because it's really the only way to show that Naruto isn't a perfect unstoppable juggernaut.
When thinking of a name for the fusion of Uzume and Chiho I had thought of two different possibilities: Uzuho and Chime. I went with Chime for two reasons. The first reason was that the Chime is the name of two instruments that creates lovely sounds: Standard chimes and wind chimes. I felt that also worked with the situation since there are two people now in one body. Plus wind chimes are, as the name implies, associated with wind and I've always viewed Uzume as someone who dances gracefully in the wind striking suddenly with her veil as opposed to an 'in your face' type person. Again it works, at least in my universe anyways.
The second reason is not nearly as beautiful, Uzuho to me sounded kind of like a whore's name. An alias someone would take when they were to prostitute themselves out without letting the world know who they were. I apologize to anyone if they actually have that name, I don't mean to imply that you are a whore, that's just the way it sounds like to me due to how slang has developed in Canada. Ho is short form for whore and ending a name with that just leaves me with that impression.
I may have gone into too much detail about the computer, but at least now it's very easy to envision what it looks like ^_^. I won't be describing it ever again but you can basically assume whenever there is a computer screen, it's that screen, and when there is a keyboard, it's that keyboard and so on and so forth. And anyone that knows computers knows I could have gone into A LOT more detail if I wanted to. FSB speeds, amount of L1 and L2 cache, motherboard, power supply, Ethernet cards, sound card, cooling systems, etc., etc.,
Again, I'm going to say this bit about Naruto's Sekirei, I've already said it multiple times.
I'll allow up to 7 AT MOST, but I'll probably end at 6, Sekirei into Naruto's swarm.
There were 4 'planned' Sekirei from the very start: Hanabi, Yume, Akitsu and Chime.
So far there's been 1 Extra Sekirei: Blanc
There is still room for 1, if not 2, more extra Sekirei. So if I decide to throw Miya-chan in, there's still room. And yes god damn it I'm going to cling to that 'maybe Miya' shtick until the chapter I throw her in.
Not that I've already planned it or anything… *cough*
Chapter 22: Extra
Naruto rubbed his eye as the sun shone down on his sleepy face. He grumbled in discontent at the unwanted intrusion, he felt so warm and comfortable, like he was wrapped tightly in soft velvety cloth, and the damnable sun was ruining the experience.
With a surge of his chakra a clone appeared into existence beside his bed. Naruto twirled his finger in the air and the clone quickly complied, a few moments later the curtains were drawn over the window blocking out the offensive intruder.
With a sigh of content he let his hand drop and rest lightly on the back of his companion. With gentle circular motions he began to rub her back, eliciting small murmurs of content.
"Mmm, that feels nice."
Naruto opened his eyes and glanced down at his companion. Her wealth of brown locks flowed across the bedspread that was wrapped around their bodies tightly. He could see a light smile her sleepy face, "Oh, sorry, did I wake you?" Naruto asked, stopping the motions of his hand.
Chime cracked an eye, her smile changing into a mischievous grin, "Ya, but I don't mind, last night was fun wasn't it bro?" To emphasis her point she moved a hand between his legs and gently caressed him. A soft moan escaped from her mouth as Naruto stiffened inside her. They had fallen asleep last night together joined as one.
"I have no complaints, although did doing it suspended from the ceiling was certainly a new experience. I never knew a woman's body could bend like that." Naruto said as he rolled over, pinning Chime beneath him, and kissed her soundly.
Chime pulled her arms out from beneath the covers, "Mmm, there are many things about a woman you don't know yet." She said as she stretched her arms out above her head. "There were many things I wanted to try out with Chiho, never thought I'd get to try them out on you with her instead."
"Chiho had some pretty wild ideas as well." Naruto pointed out as he began to slowly pump in and out of her. She was still wet inside, filled with his seed.
A small chuckle escaped Chime's lips, "I never thought my little baby Chiho would ask that of you. I think that's the first time anyone's ever been gang banged by the same person."
"Well, the memories I got back from them were certainly amazing. Speaking of Chiho, how is she doing?" Naruto asked with both concern and curiosity evident in his voice. Yesterday had been a rather trying day for them all.
Chime smiled up at Naruto and kissed him again, her hips began to move in time with Naruto's, "She's asleep right now, I'm surprised she lasted the whole night, she probably won't be up for a while-Ah!" She gasped as Naruto began to pick up speed.
She loosened the sheets and quickly wrapped her legs around Naruto's waist. Their lips met and tongues danced around one another. The sweet smell of her arousal wafted into his nose, urging him on harder, faster. Their hands danced across each other's bodies, caressing sensitive areas.
With a cry of ecstasy Chime was driven over the edge. Her legs tightened around his waist as she slammed him into her as far as he could go. She clamped tightly around him as her body tried to milk him for all he was worth.
That was all it took for Naruto. The overwhelming heat and passion, her sweet scent, the powerful yet gentle caress of her sanctuary, it was simply too much. With a soundless shout he released himself into her, filling her once again.
"Wow, even after last night you still had that much left." She could feel his seed seeping into her womb. She hoped that this week was a safe week for her former Ashikabi. Otherwise she'd be cooking something in her oven very shortly. "You really are a lascivious beast." She laughed, "Oh Miya doesn't know what she's missing."
"I don't think Miya is too interested in this, she was married you know." Naruto said, there was a hint of remorse in his voice.
Chime gave Naruto an incredulous look. He couldn't be that oblivious of Miya's affections, could he? Miya was pretty much shouting out her interest in him. Everything from the way she addressed him to the way she treated him was on a completely different level than everyone else. She did not see him as just another tenant at her Inn.
But that was something for Naruto and Miya to sort out. She'd just have to tease Miya behind Naruto's back.
"What's wrong?" She asked suddenly, she felt it through the bond, remorse and sadness. That definitely wasn't associated with Miya.
Naruto broke down and hugged Chime tightly, "I'm sorry Uzume… I…" He choked back a sob. His eyes were shut tightly as he tried to hold back the tears. His excessive response to the attack on Blanc had nearly killed Uzume. There were plenty of ways he could have dealt with the attack but he immediately utilized a lethal strike without thinking.
She hugged him back just as tightly, "Hey now, none of that. I attacked Blanc remember? If anything I should be the one saying sorry." She was the one that had nearly robbed him of one of his Sekirei and literally tore his heart out in the process.
"I nearly killed you."
"I nearly killed you too." Chime pointed out as well.
"I'm trying to say sorry here!" Naruto laughed and cried at the same time.
"Well don't!" Chime said as she bopped him on the head, "However…" Another mischievous grin creased her face, "You could SHOW how sorry you are."
He stiffened inside of her.
"Wow, ready to go again? Shall I take that as a yes?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I was able to handle four women at the same time for over eight consecutive hours. You can't exhaust me." If he could handle everything Hanabi, Akitsu, Yume and Blanc could throw at him and still have some left over there was nothing Chime could do to slow him down.
"I'll take that as a challenge bro."
"Should we wake Chiho before we start?"
"Nah, I love Chiho but sometimes it's nice to have you all to myself."
The two shared identical grins. Their lips met once more and the love making began again.
x~X~x
"I still can't believe you didn't wake me up Uzume-chan." Chime said with a pout. The two of them, Chime and Naruto, were walking back to Izumo Inn. They had building hopped for a short distance but the limp in Chime's step made it difficult so they had opted to simply walk back normally after making it half the distance.
Neither of them particularly minded the delay, it gave them time to simply talk before they made it back to the rambunctious Izumo Inn. It was difficult to have a one on one talk in that place.
"Sorry Chiho, Naruto didn't really give me any time to wake you, he was pretty insistent. He ravished me with his beastly urges!" Chime said as she gestured with her hands what Naruto had done to her.
Chime's face lit up with a blush. Memories of what Uzume-chan had been doing to Naruto-kun with her body flashed across her consciousness. The position had been especially bad, she had no idea she could do that.
"My legs aren't supposed to bend that much!" She protested.
She didn't particularly mind waking up to that but some warning would have been nice. Uzume had thought it funny to suddenly throw her to the forefront just as she awoke. One moment she had been peacefully asleep and the next all she could feel was Naruto-kun furiously pounding into her with her legs wrapped around his neck.
The sheer discrepancy between the two states had been rather jarring. It had taken nearly an hour for the blush to die down. Uzume's laughter in the back of her head hadn't helped very much.
"They seemed to bend just fine to me. Should have seen the position before, now THAT took some doing. That's why we're limping by the way, I might have pulled something; I'll have to work on limbering you, us, up!"
"Uzume-chan!"
"I imagine you would look very odd if someone saw you talking to yourself." Naruto said with an amused grin on his face. The changes of expression that Chime went through when the dominate personality swapped from Uzume to Chiho was simply remarkable. It was very obvious that there were two completely different people in there.
Thankfully however the streets were completely barren. In fact Naruto hadn't seen a single car or person since they had left the Hospital. It was like everyone was hiding in their basement or something.
Naruto couldn't for the life of him figure out why.
"You're right, where is everyone?" Chime asked as she looked around, "Now that I think about it the people at the people at the reception desk were positively spooked." The hospital had also become incredibly busy.
There had been a major influx of injured, both minor and critical, overnight. Something major had happened between the time Naruto had sealed her away and this morning.
"Oh… ah ha… ummm…" It suddenly clicked for Naruto. It hadn't occurred to him right away because Kurama was a close friend and companion. He had never really considered him something to be frightened about, not even before the two had become friends.
Chime gave Naruto a side-long glance and sighed, "Bro… what did you do this time?" She asked.
"What makes you think I did anything?" He asked as he nervously scratched the back of his head.
Uzume gave him an even look, "Because I know you. You've always done something, it's just whether or not anyone can prove that you did something."
"Ah, well, you see there were these two Sekirei... They were particularly interested in the quartz orb that held your consciousness. I sort of protested. It may or may not have been a little excessive?"
"How excessive are we talking about bro? Because the streets weren't this empty after the civil war we had."
"Oh it was something minor, just an unleashatwentystorytalldemonlordonthecity type thing, you know." He said as quickly as he could.
Chime stopped as her mind processed what her Ashikabi had just said. "Wait you what?" Her voice was laced with disbelief.
Naruto shuffled his feet nervously. The other's had accepted it pretty easily, Hanabi had already known, Yume had found out long before she had become his Sekirei so had time to get used to it, Blanc had been introduced in a much calmer manner and Akitsu would accept virtually anything.
He could see Uzume accepting it but the big question was Chiho. How would she view him?
"Did you just say demon lord?"
"Maybe?"
"How… no wait where did you find something like that?" Chime was having a hard time believing that. A demon lord? Weren't they fictional characters? Something made up to scare little girls and boys into behaving good?
"Well… when I was a child-."
"Be serious bro."
He grimaced, "I am being serious." That got their attention, "When I was a child a demon lord attacked my village. My father sacrificed his life to seal it away in a prison, a human prison."
"So your dad stuck a demon lord inside you and you just unleashed it on the city? Where is it now? I can't imagine it decided to take up baby-sitting."
Hell no I wouldn't, living through your childhood was enough for me. Kurama said, he shuddered to imagine what it would be like to be swarmed by dozens of little brats.
"It was a temporary thing. He's back inside me and he's not as bad as you think he is." Naruto said. Chime raised an eyebrow as if to say 'are you kidding me.' He ignored the look and raised his eyes to the sky, crossing his hands behind his head as he did so. "I befriended him later on. It seems he had been forced to attack my village and he's actually a pretty good guy once you get to know him. He was simply called a demon because no one really bothered to get to know the guy. Every time he appeared and was blamed for a disaster there had been someone in the shadow controlling him." It was actually very difficult to find an incident where Kurama had actually gone out and destroyed stuff. Virtually every single time he had caused a disaster he had been under someone's control or simply fought to protect himself. "I unleashed him because the two Sekirei that demanded the quartz crystal were the same ones that put Hanabi in the Hospital: Ichiya and Toyotama. He wanted to give some payback on Hanabi's behalf."
"Ichiya and Toyotama." Chime spat the names out like a curse, "Higa's blood hounds. They always tailed me to make sure I did as that bastard ordered." In her mind that excused everything. Killing those two was doing the world a favor.
"Well they won't be tailing anyone ever again." He said as he carefully wrapped an arm around Chime's shoulders. He was a little hesitant, hoping she wouldn't push him away but she seemed to accept it.
"Good, hope their deaths were excruciating."
"Kurama, that's his name by the way, the name of the demon lord, ate them alive. That's a pretty painful way to go if I'm not mistaken. From what he told me, Toyotama literally shat herself before the end there."
"Good job Kurama!" Chime said as she kissed Naruto soundly on the lips. "Almost wished I was there to see those bitches get what they deserved." She said with a vicious smile on her face. She tried to envision what it was like and came up short. A curious look crossed her face, "What type of demon lord is he?"
"He's the Kyuubi, a nine-tailed demon fox." Naruto said.
Well that was easy to envision, unfortunately it brought a whole slew of potential problems along with it.
With a groan Chime palmed her face, "Bro, you don't know much about Japanese mythology do you?" Another groan escaped her lips when Naruto shook his head, "Just great, I hope I'm wrong…"
"Umm, Naruto-kun?" Chime asked as Chiho took over.
"Yes?" Here it was Chiho's reaction to the revelation.
"Well if you have a fox inside you, do you get any accessories?" She asked shyly as she glanced at his ears and butt.
"Accessories?"
OH HELL NO! I have TOO much damn pride for that shit! Kurama bellowed from the depths of Naruto's mind.
"Well you know, a fox-tail and ears."
No way, not going to happen. Kit, as much as I like you, that's not going to happen. I'm the Kyuubi no Kitsune! The greatest of the Bijuu! One of the most powerful entities in existence! I'm not going to mark my container with cutesy little bits that make girls sigh and squeal in delight.
Never would have asked for it. Naruto replied as he pacified his friend. He never knew Kurama was so passionate about that. Pride was a funny thing.
"Sorry, nothing like that. Unfortunately I'm pure human." Naruto said, much to Chime's disappointment. He could literally see her shoulders sag in disappointment.
He almost wanted to mention that he could simulate it with a transformation but he was certain that Kurama would never speak to him again if he did that.
At least he didn't have to worry about Chiho's reaction to the revelation. She seemed more put-out about the lack of foxy bits than the existence of Kurama.
There was something Chime had mentioned earlier that had caught his attention, something that could be very important, "Anyways, you mentioned something about Higa?" Naruto asked as he guided Chime around the last corner. Izumo Inn rose up in the distance just a little ways down the street.
Chime nodded, "Ya, while Kakizaki was always the one to deliver the orders, they were always Higa's orders. Higa Izumo, heir to Higa Pharmaceuticals, MBI's biggest and really only rival left in the pharmaceutical area in Japan." She hated that man with a passion. All the suffering she had gone through and had forced others to go through had been on that man's behalf.
"How interesting." Well that narrowed the search down quite a bit. With that information Blanc would be able to quickly narrow her search. They had known that Higa Pharmaceutical's owned the Hospital but they hadn't been able to connect Kakizaki with any particular person associated with that corporation.
"Interesting? Are you planning something?" Chime eyed him suspiciously.
"Yes, if Kakizaki works for this Higa then there is going to be a reckoning real soon. This Higa person tried to steal Hanabi's Sekirei core and offer her up as a toy. It's become personal for her."
Chime could understand that, she knew how Hanabi was and with someone like that after you it really was only a matter of time before you were taken out. "You better not leave me behind when you go after him!" Chime demanded. There was no way she was going to sit on the sideline.
"Oh course not; I don't intend to leave anyone out." Naruto said as they walked through the front entrance of Izumo Inn.
"Naruto-kun! Welcome back!" Hanabi called out as Naruto and Chime walked through the front door. She was seated at the table eating breakfast, which consisted of bacon and eggs. On either side of her were Yume and Akitsu. Blanc was sitting at the head of the table half-eating half-reading the tablet she had on the table in front of her.
Homura glowered at the small Sekirei from the wall as he ate his own breakfast. He seemed upset that his normal position at the table had been usurped.
On the other side of the table was Minato and the rest of his Sekirei, little Kusano was sitting in his lap stealing pieces of bacon when he wasn't looking.
Almost as one they all regarded turned to regard Chime curiously. Blanc was the exception as she already knew who it was; she seemed more interested in what was on her tablet. Considering how absorbed she was it was probably a good novel.
"You have arrived just in time Naruto-san." Miya said calmly as she began to put some bacon and eggs onto a couple of plates for the two of them. "It would have been unfortunate if you had not arrived, there would have been so much waste." Naruto had no doubt that she meant it would be unfortunate for him if she had been forced to waste food because he didn't show up.
He could still clearly remember the last time he had missed a meal without telling her.
"I wouldn't even think of missing one of your meals." Naruto said as he placated the landlady.
"Good, and who is this young lady beside you? Has yet another woman fallen to your beastly urges?"
Chime sniffled and some fake tears trailed down her cheeks, "He was so rough, he wouldn't stop no matter how much I cried out. He just kept filling me and wouldn't pull out, he forced his baby into me." She wrapped her arms around her stomach and held it like she was gently holding a baby. Chime sounded so sincere and upset Naruto would have believed her if it wasn't for the simple fact that she was the one that had tied HIM up with her bed sheets.
Of course the others didn't know that.
The silence in the room was almost deafening.
Naruto looked at Hanabi in a panic and said one word, "Help."
Hanabi adopted a disapproving look on her face but he could tell by the look in her eyes that it was taking everything she had to stop from bursting out into laughter.
Naruto didn't feel like laughing, especially when a length of cold steel was pressed firmly against his jugular. Naruto robotically turned his head to regard a glowering Miya. The hairs on her head were beginning to sway in a non-existent breeze as a deep, dark purple aura erupted from around her.
If looks could kill he'd be a pile of ash right now.
"Uzumaki-san…" Miya started, her voice so cold it made the artic feel warm. "Your continued stay at Izumo Inn hinges on your next words."
"I only have one thing to say." Naruto said solemnly as he prepared to unleash the most powerful jutsu his former sensei, Jiraiya, had created. It had been painstakingly created and refined to perfection for just such a situation. "Run Away No Jutsu!" Naruto screamed in a panic and bolted for the door, tossing all of his pride and dignity out the window in the process.
"Don't you run away from me!" Miya shouted as she blasted out the door chasing after him.
Hanabi couldn't hold it in anymore. She collapsed in a fit of laughter. The tears on Chime's face disappeared as well as her laughter joined Hanabi's.
"Oh, poor Naruto-kun." Chime said through fits of her laughter.
"Don't worry Chime-san, Naruto-kun is used to it. It's a game they play with each other." Hanabi said as she recovered from her laughter.
The plates on the table clattered as a loud boom shook the house.
"Can someone please explain to me what just happened here?" Homura asked in total confusion. One moment it appeared as if Naruto was a rapist and the next it looked like he was the butt end of a prank.
Matsu stuck her head out from a hole in the ceiling. "It's a soap opera!"
Hanabi shook her head but she couldn't really deny it, sometimes it really did feel like a soap opera here. "Everyone, I would like you to meet Chime-san, an amalgamation of Uzume-chan and her Ashikabi, Chiho-chan." She began, it was going to be an interesting story to tell, although she had no intention of mentioning any connection between Naruto and Kurama. That was his secret to tell.
x~X~x
Naruto struggled against the sword that was clasped between his hands. He had caught it just shy of it biting into his head. The force behind the strike had forced him to the ground on his backside.
Miya was in the genuflexion position with one knee between Naruto's legs and the other one at his side. While normally this position was used to signify deep respect, Miya was currently using it to put more power behind her swing so she could cut him in half.
"Die scum-san! The world will be a better place without your beastly desires knocking up every female you come across!" Miya growled as she increased the power behind the strike.
"No! Don't wanna! I like unleashing my beastly desires!" That was the wrong thing to say as Miya's eyes began to glow ominously. "Ah, I mean she was the one that tied me up!"
"Uzume-san has better sense than that!"
Naruto blinked in surprise, "Wait you know- Shit!" The surprise had caused him to loosen his grip on the sword and it quickly flashed between his hands.
Miya's eyes widened in surprise and she quickly redirected her swing to the side, missing Naruto's head by a hair's breath. The two of them breathed a sigh of relief at the near miss, that could have been bad if Miya hadn't been as quick to react as she was.
The landlady was the first to recover as she slowly rose to her feet. "Oh Naruto-san, what are you doing to my Sekirei?" Miya asked.
Naruto wasn't in any hurry to get up, the grass was soft. His eyes became haunted as Miya's question registered in his head. He looked at the house, straight towards Chime as if he could see through the walls. "I almost killed her you know. I didn't know it was her until it was too late. I… I didn't know any other way to save her." He said softly, regret and sorrow laced his voice. Despite Uzume's reassurance this morning this was one more regret he would carry for the rest of his life. Another scar he'd have to deal.
Miya gave him a sympathetic look. "That young girl in there, she is…"
"Was Uzume's Ashikabi." Naruto finished for her. Miya closed her eyes and turned her back to Naruto. She had assumed as much, "She was dying as well, although much more slowly than Uzume. By transferring Uzume's Tama into her Hanabi was able to cure her disability." Naruto continued on.
"Were there any complications?" Miya asked softly.
"None so far. They're both in there now, Chiho and Uzume. I can tell from the bond that they're both happy. Uzume is with Chiho forever and ever. She's also freed from her blackmail situation while Chiho has been cured of her illness." He could feel them both through the bond, two distinct separate people, yet at the same time joined as one. They were both incredibly happy right now, although Chiho also seemed to be incredibly embarrassed at the moment.
That was probably Uzume's doing.
"Good, that's the way it should be." While it was an unorthodox pairing, the happiness between an Ashikabi and their Sekirei were what was most important. She turned back to Naruto, "If there are any complications, let me know." She could help, she was limited in what she could do and it was against the orders she and the other Pillars had been given, but she would break them for Naruto.
"Will do!" Naruto said, he rocked his back and jumped to his feet.
"You should go eat your breakfast before it gets cold and goes to waste." Miya said as she pointed to the front door.
"But you're the one that chased me around the house." Naruto protested as he headed back to the entrance.
"Naruto-san… In." Miya commanded in a firm tone.
"Yes Miya-chan!" Naruto said as he double timed it.
Miya held a hand to her chest as she watched Naruto head in doors. As he disappeared she leaned back against the side of the house and sighed. Her hair cascaded down the sides of her face as she bowed her head.
She couldn't deny it anymore. The way her heart beat faster whenever she saw him, the way her eyes always seemed to involuntarily linger on him, the heat that built up between her legs whenever she thought about being in his embrace.
She cared for Naruto, she cared for him in a way she thought she was not capable of after Takehito-san died. She wasn't even reacting to him, although unlike her Sekirei she couldn't react, not while she was No. 00. She just genuinely…
She refused to think it. To think it would be to betray her love of Takehito-san.
Miya took a deep breath and calmed her raging emotions. She would have to deal with this soon, but not today.
x~X~x
"… Can't believe you managed to transfer Uzume's Tama from her dying body to her Ashikabi's." Homura said with shake of his head. There was a look of total disbelief, mixed with more than a little awe, on his face.
"Matsu-tan would be very interested in learning how Narutan managed such a feat." Matsu added as stalked towards Naruto with her hands outstretched.
"Oh my, does Matsu-san wish to experiment on my Sekirei?" Miya asked as she entered the Inn. She had caught the last bit of the conversation.
"Ah-haha, of course not Miya-san! I would never think of doing that." Matsu said as she cautiously backed away from Naruto and Miya, making sure to keep her hands clasped firmly behind her back.
"Oh, that's wonderful to hear, I would hate to lose a tenant because she couldn't keep her experiments under control." Miya said with a sweet voice.
Matsu swallowed hard. "Matsu-tan is a good girl." She said as she sat abruptly in her corner.
Naruto laughed and fired a grin at Homura, "Well, what can I say? I'm awesome."
"You're not human is what you are." Homura said as he eyed Naruto suspiciously. "What are you anyways?"
"I'm a shinobi! I go sneaky sneaky and do shinobi type stuff."
"I've read up on shinobi, and none of them can do what you do." Homura pointed out. He had read a lot about the ancient times, probably more than Naruto. In addition to having a strong knowledge of Japanese history he was familiar with most of the different mythologies from Egyptian Gods to the Greek Pantheon.
Naruto thrust his chest out, "Perhaps I'm superman!"
"More like wonder woman." Chime quipped with a snicker.
Naruto almost did a face plant on the ground right there, "You have no proof!" He yelled hysterically as he jabbed at finger at Chime.
"Well, I do have these photos…"
Naruto's eyes bugged out in horror, "NO! When did you take those! DELETE! DESTROY! ANNIHILATE!" He shouted as he tackled Chime to the ground and began to feel her all over as he desperately tried to find the photos. Chime began to laugh as she batted playfully at Naruto's hands.
"Uzumaki-san!" Naruto stopped pawing his newest Sekirei as a dark aura began to creep around him. "What have I said about illicit activities here at Izumo Inn."
"B-But I'm not! I'm looking for photos…" He suddenly realized that his hands had settled on Chime's breasts and they were both in a very precarious position. "Ah heh… you're going to chase me around the house again aren't you?"
Unfortunately before Miya had the chance to enact a second chastisement on Naruto their attention was draw to the television. The channel, which had originally been airing a cooking show from overseas, changed as emergency protocols were engaged. The scene became one of a podium, decked out with dozens of microphones, with a large black screen displaying the Japanese flag covering the wall behind it.
Standing at the podium was none other than 'Emperor Minaka' himself.
Miya and Naruto exchanged concerned looks while Homura glared at the screen like he was about to reduce it to ash. Matsu's childlike demeanor changed as she stared at the Director of MBI with a serious look.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is I your Emperor, and I have some important information to share with all of you." Minaka said with a huge smile on his face. He looked positively ecstatic.
"Oh great, it's the mad man." Naruto said, annoyed at having his fun with Miya interrupted.
Minaka held his hand and to the side as he gestured to the screen behind him. The image changed to that of the Kyuubi standing in the middle of Shinto Teito with its tails waving behind it.
"Many of you have probably either heard of, or if you were lucky enough to be nearby, felt the presence of this magnificent beast. It's the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine-tailed demon fox! Yes, the legend is real!" The grin on Minaka's face was positively maniacal, "His appearance is a great portent of things to come. The Age of God is nearly upon us, and those that are faithful shall be rewarded and accepted into 'His' embrace!"
"Is it just me or did Minaka turn into a religious zealot?" Naruto asked as his head tilted. He already knew the man was insane but this was kind of pushing it.
Was there something beyond insanity?
The scowl on Homura's face deepened
Naruto's eyes narrowed as the image changed once again. Minato and his Sekirei all looked curiously between him and the screen. There on it was a large blown up image of him glowing a brilliant blue color. It was an image taken just before he had unleashed Kurama upon the city. "I would like to thank this man, Uzumaki Naruto, for containing the demon so quickly after he was released. Who knows how many more people could have been killed or injured had his rampage not been stopped so soon after it started." Minaka's eyes seem to gleam an unearthly color as he stared right at the camera. Naruto could also feel his eyes on him, "Thanks to his efforts only three hundred and twenty eight people were killed, and another twelve hundred hospitalized."
Naruto flinched like he had been struck a physical blow. Hanabi and Miya noticed and they both looked at him in concern.
"He almost looks like he's enjoying this." Homura said in disgust.
"And that's it! Have a nice day everyone." Minaka said cheerfully and ended the broadcast abruptly. The screen changed back to the original program.
"What is he doing?" Hanabi asked in disbelief, "He should know that won't be enough to calm the populace. He's going to have riots in the streets if he doesn't actually 'do' something to calm them down."
"Minaka has never done anything the way it should be done." Homura said.
Naruto moved to leave Izumo Inn.
"Where are you going Naruto-kun?" Hanabi asked in concern. She knew the deaths he had caused by letting Kurama out was eating at him.
"I just need some time to think." He said despondently and walked out the door.
"Blanc, Akitsu, go with him, keep him out of trouble please." She asked her sisters. Akitsu didn't ask for clarification, she simply got up and followed after her Ashikabi.
Blanc sighed and handed her tablet to Yume. "Alright, when do you want me to drag his ass home?" Blanc asked as she pushed herself up from the table.
"Bring him home for dinner." Miya said.
Blanc looked at Hanabi in askance and she nodded, "Alright, consider it done." Blanc said quickly left the Inn to follow after Naruto and Akitsu.
x~X~x
Sahashi Takami was not in a very good mood as she stomped behind the emperor of Japan. "What the hell was that?" She demanded as the two of them strode through the halls of the palace.
Due to her status and position in MBI and control over the Sekirei Plan she was one of the few people with unrestricted access to Minaka. It also gave her the privilege to speak her mind, provided it was not in a public setting.
Minaka enjoyed her banter; it was always interesting to see how short-sighted she was, although she did have a far greater vision than most of her kind. She was quite intelligent and had a force of presence that few could match. This made her one of the more interesting mortals he was forced to deal with so he kept her around and let her say what she will in private. She knew not to speak her mind in public; he hadn't even need tell her of that.
He enjoyed dealing with intelligent people; they were so hard to come by these days.
"Oh I thought it went quite well actually." Minaka replied as he stroked his chin. The looks on the faces of the reporters was absolutely priceless.
"You're going to have riots in the streets!"
"Only if there are people capable of organizing said riots." It was very easy to simply label the most vocal dissenters as traitors or rebels and have them arrested.
"Sometimes I don't understand what you're thinking." She said in exasperation. She held a hand up to her forehead as she fought back a headache. The headaches were becoming a more frequent occurrence these days.
Trying to clean up after Minaka AND deal with the messes left behind by Uzumaki Naruto was giving her migraines.
The only way things could get worse right now was if Naruto Uzumaki went off and started a second war with Higa Izumi.
"Ah my dear, you just don't have the vision to see what I see. You need to look at the whole picture, the grand design." Minaka said, spreading his arms wide to emphasis his point. "The Sekirei Plan is all about the revival of the Age of God and Kurama's appearance is a major cornerstone of that plan!"
"By doing what? Scaring the people shitless?"
"No, by restoring their faith in the powers almighty. A thousand years ago the Sekirei showed humanity powers beyond their imagining, and they were worshipped. However after a thousand years that faith has dwindled into nothing. Mere stories to be used as basis for fictional writing. With the appearance of an entity beyond their ability to comprehend they will start to believe again. If the Kyuubi no Kitsune exists, then why not the other creatures of legends? And if they exist, why not the Gods that spawned them? They will believe and their belief will act as fuel for the rebirth."
In a very sick and twisted way Takami could see his reasoning, although she really wished she couldn't. "If I didn't know better I'd think you planned this whole thing out. Plus you're assuming there's a god for them to worship." She pointed out, she herself didn't believe in deities but she had to admit that view had been rattled over the past twenty-four hours. She believed in what could be easily quantified. The Sekirei, while alien, at least fit into that category. However that demon that appeared in the middle of Shinto Teito…
That was something she couldn't quantify.
"Unfortunately I can't take any credit for this situation." Minaka said with a little sigh, "And I had so many plans drawn up to force the Kyuubi into the open too, ah well." The emperor turned to Takami and grinned, "As for 'God.' Don't worry Takami-san, there is one, and I'll make sure you're there to see his rebirth." It was the least he could do after all the assistance she had provided over the years.
The two of them left the hallway and entered a large room. It was rather sparse although there was a large table in the center of the room with thirteen chairs situated around it. All the chairs were empty, save one.
"Ah, there you are, glad you could make it." Minaka said as he addressed the man that had been waiting patiently for his arrival.
"Of course Minaka-sama. Your wish is my command." The man said as he rose to greet the emperor. The man wore a long white robe, held on tight by a black belt. A black overcoat was draped across his shoulders. He had unique eyes and his face was framed by long flowing black hair.
"So what do you think of how she's turned out?" Minaka asked the man.
"She's become so beautiful; she has her mother's face. She possesses a tremendous amount of chakra for one of her age and her skills are top notch. She's strong. I am proud of her."
"And weaknesses?" Minaka grinned at the man.
The man struggled for a moment before sighing, "Her blind spot is still there, that should have been fixed by now and despite her incredible viewing distance she is too focused on what is in front of her face to really notice anything a far. She has yet to figure out how to mix the chakra from her core with the chakra from her body. With the level of control she was trained to have she should have figured it out by now." She seemed too absorbed in starting up a new life with her husband than training to become stronger. He was happy that she had found someone, especially someone like him, but she shouldn't be letting her training slack as a result.
"If I asked you to kill her, would you?" Minaka asked, the grin on his face expanded in size.
The man visibly struggled, "I… I…"
Takami glared at Minaka, the damn bastard almost seemed to be enjoying this. "I'll say it again, if I asked you to kill her, would you do it?" Minaka repeated himself. He wasn't doing this just to torture the man, although it was enjoyable watching him squirm.
Her power was simply too problematic.
There had been a reason No. 84 had been chained so completely and given to an abusive Ashikabi. It had been so that he wouldn't have to worry about that particular power getting in his way in the future. He could have simply eliminated her, an accident so to speak, but then he wouldn't have been able to enjoy her suffering. He still didn't know why Junichi had deviated from his original course, he had done everything in his power to keep No. 84 away from those two. The bastard's bleeding heart wouldn't have allowed him to stand by and do nothing while the original No. 84 suffered. If he had known about it before hand he probably would tried to save her like he had with No. 108.
Minaka frowned in annoyance, saving the original No. 84 would have actually been preferable to the current outcome. At least the original would have still been chained to some extent.
Now he'd have to deal with the new No. 84 before he moved onto the final stage of the Sekirei Plan. It was a small wrinkle in his otherwise perfect Sekirei Plan. One he was going to smooth out soon in the most entertaining way possible.
But for now it was fun watching the mortals scramble around below and 'she' was still far away from mastering her power.
Minaka turned his attention back to the man, he seemed to be struggling hard as he tried to resist answering his question. The emperor arched an eyebrow and ended the resistance with a sharp tug on the bond. The smile returned as he watched the man's shoulders sag. A single tear dripped down the side of his cheek, "I would have no choice but to obey, Ashikabi-sama." The man said, completely heart-broken.
Takami's eyebrows rose to her hairlines. This person was one of the twelve Sekirei that Minaka had dug up from somewhere, probably the remnants of one of the other seven ships. And what's more he was implying that he was going to order him to kill 'her'. But who was her? It was obvious from that way he struggled against the Sekirei bond that it was someone important to him.
Recognition dawned on her face, she remembered now, those eyes, she'd seen their likes once before. Aside from the Sharingan they were the most unique pair of eyes she had ever seen.
The smile on Minaka's face was bone-chillingly cold. "Good, continue your observation of her, Hiashi-kun."
x~X~x
Naruto had no destination in mind after he left Izumo Inn. He just wandered around Shinto Teito for hours as he mulled over a pair of numbers. The number of people he had killed and injured just to get revenge on two Sekirei.
How could he have been so stupid? Of course unleashing Kurama in the middle of Shinto Teito would cause an incredible scale of destruction. Of course it would kill, maim or otherwise injure countless people.
And for what? He could have ended those two just as easily with his own power as he could have with Kurama's.
With a long sigh he looked up at the sun, judging by its position it was mid-afternoon. The heat was strong, almost oppressive, when combined with the humidity in the air. The walk had done him good but he was drenched in sweat, and not from exertion.
His stomach growled reminding him he had just walked right on past lunch.
He checked the area, hoping to see something to eat when he saw a familiar ramen stand. The same ramen stand he had eaten at the night before. It was then that he realized he had meandered his way into the ruined section of Shinto Teito. His wandering feet had dragged him back to the scene of the crime. He was almost at the very epicenter of the incident, the very point where he had unleashed Kurama upon Shinto Teito.
And killed over three hundred people, just to prove a point to a couple of Sekirei that were dead anyways.
To either side of him he felt the comforting presence of Blanc and Akitsu. They had said nothing this entire time, deigning to simply stand at his side offering what support they could with their physical presence.
"You two didn't need to come along you know." Naruto said quietly as he started up again, slowly picking his way through the rubble strewn street. "But thank you."
"I will always stay by your side Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she moved a little closer. Naruto shivered as the air chilled. Being near Akitsu felt nice after that long hot walk. It was like being beside a portable air conditioner.
"Hanabi asked me to keep you out of trouble." Blanc said as she floated closer as well.
"Again, thanks you two."
The three continued on in silence for a few more minutes, heading further into the devastation.
As they got closer to the epicenter of the incident a strange chorus of noises began to drift across the wind to their ears. The three of them exchanged looks, it sounded very much like a hymn, or prayer. Curiosity got the better of Naruto and he quickly hurried towards the source of the noise.
As they got closer Naruto noticed a rather large gathering of hooded individuals wearing red robes. They seemed to be kneeling on the ground around a larger crater.
"Oh hell no." Naruto said aloud as he realized the crater was one of the holes made by Kurama's paw. He had a bad feeling he knew what this was all about.
One of the hooded individuals heard the shout and turned to look. His eyes lit up and burned with fervour. "It's him!" He cried out in ecstasy as he quickly rose to his feet.
The others all turned as one, their eyes lighting up with the same zealotry as the first as their eyes fell upon him. There was a mad scramble and before Naruto could curse they were surrounding him.
The only thing that prevented them from actually touching him was a ring of razor sharp ice surrounding the three of them and Blanc's massive axe, raised threateningly in her hands.
"It's our lord Kyuubi! Oh this is a joyous day! You have graced us with your divine presence!" The leader of the group, a pretty middle-aged woman cried out as she stepped forward, heedless of the ice piercing her skin.
"Ah, I think you may have the wrong person." Naruto said very cautiously. He was surrounded by at least a hundred zealots. It would be a blood bath if they tried to swarm him, Akitsu would see to that.
"Are you not Uzumaki Naruto?" Naruto nodded his head slowly. A sigh of happiness escaped from her lips as her light in her eyes changed to absolute devotion and adoration. "Ah, then you are our Lord Kyuubi!"
What the hell else did you do while you were on control? Did you go out and start your own religion or something? Naruto called out to his friend in the back of his mind.
Don't ask me, I have no idea where this is coming from. I've never understood why you mortals place your faith in others, what's wrong with yourself?
"Those markings on your cheeks! Brilliant! They shall be the sign of a true believer!" She started to rip into her cheeks as she tried to scar her face to mimic the birth marks on Naruto's.
"Wait, no you don't need to do that." Naruto said in a panic as he waved his arms wildly to stop her. "If you must insist just use tattoos!" He had to say something, anything, to stop her from disfiguring herself in his name.
"As you wish my Lord!" She said and lowered her arms to her side.
Naruto sighed with relief that he managed to evade that pitfall. There was something more pressing he had to address though. "I think there may be a mistake here." Naruto said, "I just contain the Kyuubi, its jailor, I'm not him." He tried to correct her. It was probably too late to deny that much after Minaka's broadcast, these people wouldn't believe him.
"So you admit it is true!" Naruto just stared at her, unsure what to say, "The Kyuubi is a trickster and shape-shifter! I understand, you wish to hide yourself from the non-believers and you try and trick us to test our faith!"
"Ah no tha-."
"Do not worry my Lord." She spoke over top of him, she seemed to have very selective hearing. "We shall not waver. Our devotion to you is absolute and complete! WE ARE YOURS TO COMMAND!" As one the followers of Kyuubi dropped to their knees and began to sing his praises.
Naruto stared at the woman in abject shock. What the hell just happened? When did he cross over from Shinto Teito into Crazy Town? He was literally watching a religion spring up around him with him as the focal point of it.
"Blanc, Akitsu, I need some advice here." Naruto said as he addressed his Sekirei. This was way beyond his area of expertise and every word he said was just making things worse.
"Ah, I want to be the High Priestess." Akitsu said finally after a few moments of deliberation.
"I'll go with Keeper of the Scriptures myself." Blanc followed. If this was going to happen then she might as well take control of the most important aspect of it the new religion.
"You're not helping!" Naruto shouted to the sky in frustration.
The leader of the congregation stood up and looked at Blanc and Akitsu. "So you two are the High Priestess and the Keeper of the Scriptures?" She asked in breathless anticipation.
"I am also his wife." Akitsu confirmed.
"What she said."
"Oh how wonderful that you get to stand at his side and lay in his bed!" The congregation broke out into song, singing their praises alongside his own.
"Oi you're supposed to refute her!" Naruto protested to his Sekirei. This was getting way out of hand.
Blanc shrugged, "The chances of stopping this are slim to nil, might as well take control of it in its early stages. Hanabi can be the Matriarchal Overseer that makes sure every aspect of the church works in sync. Yume can be the Head Missionary that dictates how one goes about spreading the word and Chime can be the Hymn Master, presiding over what songs should be sung in your honor." With this all the major roles would be filled with Naruto and his Sekirei and that would allow them to direct every aspect of the new religion.
Naruto was now staring at Blanc in almost as much horror as he did the congregation. He wasn't sure if she was joking or being entirely serious, in either case this was getting out of hand. "That's it! We've been here too long." Naruto said as he wrapped his arms around their waists. "We're getting out of here before things get any weirder."
In a flash of light the three of them was gone.
"Do you see that everyone! His power truly IS divine! We must spread word of 'His' coming! We shall build temples in his name and sing his praises all day and night." The leader cried out in joyful bliss at the miracle that Naruto presented before them.
There was a loud chorus of agreement and the congregation separated, heading in all directions to spread word of 'His' divinity.
x~X~x
Hanabi started in surprise as Naruto suddenly appeared beside her in the living room, "Naruto-kun! You're back… are you alright?" She asked noting his haggard appearance.
"Crazy Town… I just left Crazy Town… why me?" Naruto asked no one in particular.
"Do you two mind telling me what's going on?" Hanabi asked Blanc and Akitsu. If anything Naruto was even worse off now than when he left, if in a different way.
"Yes Matriarch." Akitsu said.
"Wait, what?" Hanabi held up a hand as she interrupted Akitsu. "What's this about Matriarch?"
"Matriarch. Blanc-san decided on your position. Hanabi-san is the Matriarchal Overseer of the Religion of Kyuubi. Chime-san is the Hymn Master and Yume-san is the Head Missionary." Akitsu explained in her same monotonous voice. "I'm the High Priestess." There was a note of pride in her voice as she said that.
Hanabi wasn't entirely sure if she was serious or not so she looked over at Blanc in askance. "The Religion of Kyuubi?" She had a sinking feeling about this.
"Pretty much, Kurama's appearance started a new cult with Naruto as the focal point. We… encountered probably a rather devoted sect of that new cult." Blanc glanced over at Naruto who was praying to the God of Ramen to protect him from the crazies. "Naruto didn't take it very well."
"Wait… Naruto-kun has worshippers now?" Hanabi asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
Hanabi stared at them for a couple moments as if trying to figure out whether or not they were serious. When they showed no signs of this being a joke she turned to Naruto and tried to speak but words just wouldn't form. Every time she tried to compose her thoughts they just became jumbled again.
Eventually she settled on the only thing that she could get out.
"How does this always happen to you?!"
Author's Notes: Yes, clones were used on Chime, at least for a little bit anyways. Anyone that remembered Chiho's reaction to Hanabi's story about Naruto's little visit way back when would have seen it coming. And yes, Naruto IS incredibly dense when it comes to noticing others affections, this is actually canon. If it's not thrown in his face he's not going to pick it up, that's why it's always been the girls that initiate the relationships, because Naruto is too dense to pick up on the hints until the girls are at the point where they're jumping his bone.
I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. There are certain aspects of it I wish I could... I don't know, rephrase, but came up empty on how to do just that. Some parts seem a little too vulgar or in your face. Anyways hopefully everyone enjoyed this chapter, like I said in the AN at the top, this was just meant to be a couple pages of internal monologue. As a result there are certain areas where things are rushed; the revelation of Kyuubi to Chime is one such scenario. Chiho was way too accepting but I really didn't want to draw out something like that for very long. Although the scene with Minaka and Takami was something I added in because I wanted to drop at least one plot developing point into the chapter.
And no, no Edo Tensei was used on Hiashi-kun. He's a real living breathing Sekirei. ^_^